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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Threats to your IT & Network Security
are growing daily; and these threats come from an increasingly large number of
sources. These threats are real and have the potential to destroy your
business. Luckily, there are ways to minimize these threats and even prevent
future IT security breaches.

One of the first things to do is perform a
network security vulnerability assessment. A vulnerability assessment will help
you identify any potential threats and vulnerabilities currently being posed to
your network. Network & IT security vulnerability assessments have become a
standard best practice, and most regulatory groups recommend or even require institutions
to have a policy or plan that include them. The publisher of the PCI-DSS set of
requirements, The PCI Security Council, is among these regulatory groups that
now require organizations to perform assessments on a quarterly basis.

Although this task seems very daunting, it can
often be a painless and routine process. Many organizations and businesses are
choosing to outsource vulnerability assessments and scans to reputable IT
Security firms that can consolidate all these scans inside one easily
accessible location that includes scan scheduling, report review, and
remediation recommendations. Outsourcing helps reduce the load on in-house IT
departments, and leaves this highly important task to security experts.

Perimeter E-Security(http://Perimeterusa.com), a leading IT Security and Network firm
recommends the following 3 types of network vulnerability scans:

External Scans: External
vulnerability scans utilize cloud-based scanners to perform scans on any
external-facing devices. Scans completed from this perspective can help
organizations understand what someone trying to break into your network would
be seeing.

Internal Scans: Internal
assessment scans are performed inside of your network, and will expose
potential vulnerabilities that an individual would see if they are past edge
devices. Scanner software can often be provided that will be installed on a
virtual machine or dedicated device, and can even be loaded on an as-needed
basis on a shared device.

PCI
Scans: A PCI scan is an external scan that includes the Statement of
Attestation and Self-Assessment Questionnaire required by the PCI-DSS set of
requirements. This scan also offers additional reporting including an overview
of the current status of your PCI compliance, along with any additional areas
that are currently out of compliance.

Going even further, Vulnerability Assessments
are often offered as on-demand or managed services to fit varying budgets and
IT plans. There will most likely be an option that is just right for the needs
of your organization. Vulnerability assessments are critical to your IT
security, and the best thing to do is start somewhere. If you neglect these
security assessments, you could be leaving a gaping hole in your network that
is just waiting to be exploited by intruders.

[Guest Author] Taylor Van Sickle is a web marketing specialist & digital designer,
and frequently writes about tech, the web, marketing, & diabetes
related topics. When he's not tearing it up on the web Taylor enjoys
reading, traveling, and coming up with whacky ideas. (http://taylorvansickle.com)